When you go online you can never be sure that your personal information is safe. Despite tough measures put into place to keep personal information secure at state and national agencies, vital private data is being leaked where criminals can have access to it. This isn’t always the act of hackers, these leaks can be the cause of simple negligence.
Cases like these have come to the attention of the public who then turn to the press to publicize the lapses in security. This is often an embarrassment for the department or company and may cause unknown damage to the person that is the subject of the leaked information.
Hackers aren’t always to blame for data leaks, sometimes people can be careless. Their negligence or ignorance can allow information to get out.
For example, all Americans have a social security number. This number should be well-guarded and given out only in special circumstances. It is what identifies you and can be misused if in the wrong hands.
A lapse at the US Department of Justice caused the social security numbers of many people to become public knowledge. It inadvertently published the numbers on its web site. When the mistake was noticed the numbers were removed, but the damage was done. This demonstrates that even the most reputable organizations can be susceptible to data leakage. Everyone must remain vigilant and alert.
People should know that despite all reasonable precautions being taken, data leaks will occur. This doesn’t have to be the result of malice, it could just be carelessness but the end result is the same.
One way to keep data safe is to make sure it is encrypted. Not all businesses use this system because it is cost prohibitive and the process is complex.
Whatever security measures you adopt to keep your personal information safe, you should do a test run to make sure you haven’t missed any loopholes. This will help keep out hacker and minimize human error. Train staff to handle data correctly so lapses don’t occur.
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